Friday ended my part-time Summer employment. I was both sad and happy. I found a way to be glad at the end of a thing but because I cared and still care about the place I was working and the people I was working with I am concerned that the things I put in place were already showing signs of reversing. Some was to be expected - my replacement wasn't me...they will do things their own way. The rest, well, I did all I could do and it is no longer mine to be responsible for, as a friend of mine noted.
Friday also was a hectic day. I got an urgent request to pick up an acquaintance at the airport. He is a fellow brother of the leaf and I greeted him with a little surprise (he is a student). Had an unsmoked pipe that I'd owned for years (and was in no race to break in) and some tobacco that was good, but wasn't exactly my cup of tea, that I passed along to him. There is some odd pleasure I derive from a well placed gift like that. He is now a two-pipe piper and his leaf stock should readily see him through the academic year. There is a small contingent that he knows...methinks I have the foundation of a new club.
My wife had requested that we get out of town for a day and so we did so today, driving over to Gulfport. We visited an outdoor (or open air as I think it was called) flea market (the first I've ever visited that I think I could have readily purchased or acquired actual fleas should I have sought them out or stepped wrong). I have never in my life see so many tools at a flea market. Sears, Home Depot, and Lowes alike don't stock this many. There were also the tables filled with stacks and stacks of various bits and bobs clearly marked "Made in China" (as if the packing cases they were being pulled from weren't owners of 100 pt type bearing same). I didn't know if I should have been horrified or laughed (I did the latter, as well as not purchasing one) at the sight of several new in box tobacco pipes from China...they looked to be a dual bowl arrangement of some form (I didn't inspect them closely) all for the bargain price of $3. I did search the open vendor (several had covered their wares but had yet to arrive for market opening) tables for estate tobacciana and found absolutely nothing. I did find what appears to be a very neglected Gillette Superspeed for a very fair price and I will be restoring it over the next couple of days (I find several of my hobbies odd...I collect shaving razors, estate pipes, and I cook...all of which require significant efforts to render the purchased items into a useable form...I may yet turn out to be creative, but not in a normal, artistic manner). The downside (the back to low point again) is that I haven't had a pipe in two and a half days. I plan on rectifying that situation as soon as possible.
Carter Hall revisit: I had another bowl of CH the other day...equally as good as the first. I also went back to the source and bought half of the stock he had. I don't understand the dearth of OTC's in this area...this city seems to be mostly tobacco friendly (well, maybe tolerant is a better word...the state has enacted no-smoking laws and continues to try to toughen them but leave it to New Orleans to mostly ignore what others are doing). I suppose I could try to request that some stores order certain tobacco related goods...I can request they carry certain foodstuffs, why not tobacco too? I do know that CH has earned a place in my rotation, a rotation it seems that is changing some, but change seems to be one of the few constants in life. I know that not long after I gain meaningful employment again I will be buying a tub or two of CH to have around.
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